If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You will be required to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

new gas tankless water heater

01-04-2011, 02:22 AM

I want to install a new tankless (outdoor) gas water heater. In addition to providing water to the heater and new hot water out, I will have to divert a gas line from where the old water heater was inside the house to the new outside position about 20 feet away.

I was looking at using pex for the water and copper for the gas with compression (gator bite style) fittings as I do not know how to solder.

First I recommend you really do some research to make sure you want a tankless. They are not for everyone so do your due diligence. Secondly, I could not find an IAPMO listing for gatorBITE fittings so make sure they are legal. Even more important, make sure they are legal for gas but I doubt any push-fitting is legal for gas. Finally, size your new gas line before you invest a lot of time even considering a tankless.

a tankless is not all it's cracked up to be. there are literally 1000's of post on tankless and the vast majority are why not to have one. i doubt you'll ever see a payback with one. i'm saving $5.00 a month and have had it for 2 years now. i installed it for an experiment and just last week had to install a circulating pump on demand to try and speed up the wait time / loss of water to get it around the house.

gator fittings are not for gas

do your homework and read some old post. lots to learn.

rick.

phoebe it is

Comment

The place is a duplex with 2 small 1 bedroom apartments and the previous owner installed a 50 gallon gas water heater in the corner of the kitchen vented through the ceiling. Not only is the current heater too big for such a small apartment, but the space in the kitchen could be much better used for cabinets or..... well.... anything! The venting is also an eyesore and was not properly done as you can see buckling and cracks where the vent pipe passes though the ceiling into the attic.

There is literally no other place to put a gas water heater in this building. I was trying to avoid switching to an electric one as none of them are energy star and all the rebates and incentives require that certification.

Since any indoor gas heater (including a tankless) would still require venting, I was thinking that by getting the outdoor GE model that I could solve all the issues at once, but from what I read here today it seems like I will have to get a professional to move the gas line for me as well as direct electrical wire the unit.

Thanks for the info about PEX and UV/direct sunlight. That info was nowhere on the buyers guides!